Motivated by the Gospel

This morning, I do want to, just, invite all of you to our celebration and vision meeting tonight, at 6 o'clock, this evening. There's not gonna be any care groups. this evening, and in its place, there will be a celebration and vision, meeting here tonight, in this building where you're seated, we're gonna have a time of worship, and then also, a time where we're celebrating what God has done in the life of our church, family over the length of 2008. And then also, we have some things that we'd like to share with you as elders in terms of where we think God is leading the church in 200.

And 9. So we definitely would like all of our members to be at this meeting, but, but even our non-members, we would love for our regular attenders to be here. It's not, there's a tiny little bit of business that will be taken care of, but, but by far, primarily what we're doing tonight is just giving thanks to God for what He has done. And, And thinking through and listening to God in terms of his vision for our church in 2009 and beyond.

So that's tonight at 6 o'clock in this building. families, we would encourage you to bring a plate of goodies for a time of refreshment in the fellowship hall afterwards. All right? let me just say a quick word again before Carlos comes about, something else.

as we're going through 1 Timothy chapter 2, we're encountering some truths in those, verses, some of which we're gonna encounter in the message, today as Carlos preaches to us. We encountered last week, the doctrine of God's, universal desire for the salvation of all. And, today, we're gonna observe a universal aspect of the atoning work of Christ. And these doctrines are clearly affirmed in the passages that we've encountered in 1 Timothy chapter 2.

But we want you to know, As most of you already know that what 1 Timothy 2 says about salvation is not the whole picture that is presented in the Bible. Elsewhere, there are affirmations of God's absolute sovereignty, in the salvation of sinners, there are affirmations of the doctrine of unconditional election. And also the doctrine of man's utter inability to even come to God by faith apart from God sovereignly, powerfully drawing that person. to himself.

So perhaps there'll be a message at some point where we put all of that together. in one message, but our focus at this time is in 1 Timothy chapter 2 and giving due diligence to the truths that are affirmed in these passages and just soaking them for all that they're worth as we observe the largeheartedness of our God. So with that having been said, let us all welcome our brother Carlos Slimtiaco to the pulpit this morning. Well, I, obviously I've spent quite a bit of time wrestling around with this particular passage, 1 Timothy chapter 2, verses 5 through 7.

Spent a lot of time over the week just trying, just meditating on it and, and trying to think it through and, I, I know. Even before I speak, That I will completely fail. To do justice to what this passage is all about. I know.

That there are truths contained in this passage that simply goes way beyond, way beyond my comprehension. I, I, I am struck with a sense that I, in a sense, do not know what in the world I'm talking about here. Over the course of the last week, there were times in which I felt myself scratching the surface. And being able to see in small measure what God is revealing to, to me in this passage, there were times in which I'm, I'm looking at each individual word, and in praying to the Lord and thinking through each word for.

There is, I'm just finding myself totally blown away by grace, by the grace of God that is revealed in this passage. And so just with these thoughts in mind, I do want to ask you, please join with me in prayer. And let's, let's ask the Lord, To do a work that only he can do. Ask him to grant much grace and much mercy to me and through me, to you all, so that what, what happens is something that can only be explained by God and His grace.

So would you please pray with me. The Heavenly Father, we just come before you this morning. We come to you, Lord, confessing our ignorance. We come to you, Lord, acknowledging even as Milton has said before, the measure of blindness that we even as believers are guilty of.

We ask you, Lord, that you would illumine the eyes of our understanding. We ask you, oh Lord, that you would descend upon us, even now, that Lord, You in your holiness would reveal yourself to us, that you would help us, God, to lay hold of your heart and to have a sense of what we have just affirmed before, that you are great. Oh God, please help us to understand what it is that we're reading, and what it is that I am talking about. Cement the truth of your word to our heart.

Your word is living, it is active, it is sharper than a two-edged sword, it is life-giving, it is life sustaining, and we look to it, Lord, thirsty and hungry, and pray, Lord, that you would feed us and fill us, Lord. Oh God, use me. Your unworthy servant to communicate effectively your word, your word to your people. I pray this in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen. Towards the end of last year, On a Sunday evening, I received a phone call from my mom. And the nature of the phone call was extremely disturbing for me. It was very upsetting.

In fact, I went to bed that night and I struggled to fall asleep. And if me well enough, that falling asleep is not one of my struggles. But this evening It took me the better part of two hours as I was tossing and turning and, and thinking about the news that, that my mom had just delivered to me. You see, she told me that the night before.

Her pastor in the evening while in his church. And upon exiting the church and I think putting up some Christmas decorations and whatnot, he was attacked by a couple of guys. And as it turned out, these guys had a hammer and they pounded, they pounded his head. The doctor said it had to have been at least 7+ times, and they left his skull completely fractured in a number of places.

In fact, his eyeball was out of socket by the time the doctors were able to to work on him. had it not been for the fact that his wife and his daughter were at the church, And hearing him scream and his wife came out with a guitar and beat the guys away. There is no doubt this man would have died. And so my mom calls me with this news.

He's at the hospital in critical condition. The doctors have induced a coma upon this man, and, and I went to bed that night just wrestling. Wrestling with the problem of evil, finding myself having a very difficult time wrapping my mind around this. In the following days, As news began to trickle my way.

They were rays of hope, and there were reasons for me to feel encouraged. My mom had told me on a later date that at church that Sunday evening, the pastor's wife was there. He was still in the hospital, but his wife was there and she had communicated to the small group of believers here a desire. for those guys to be saved.

And that encouraged me. that God would give her grace. To be able to, to want that. And then in the subsequent days, I hear that that Pastor Dennis is doing better and they were able to slowly but surely bring him out of his coma and things were looking OK.

When I had the opportunity to visit this pastor in the hospital, by that time he had gotten a lot better. And I was really surprised at how good he actually looked and how clear his thinking seemed to be. He was still struggling with seeing the bright lights just hurt and he had to keep the lights off in his room. but, but he was doing much better.

In fact, he told me that the doctors told him that he was a miracle. I know that there were elders at this church praying for him. I know that there were folks in my care group praying for this man. I know that there were people throughout the country in the assemblies of God's denomination praying for this man, and there is no doubt that God in His grace has seen fit thus far to preserve him.

But when I visited him, one of the things that just rings loud and clear in my mind is, is I remember praying for him. And then I was praying for these two men for their salvation. And he He verbalized an amen. With that prayer that I prayed.

And I was encouraged by that. Recently, in, in the newspaper, the, the man interviewing him and writing the article in the newspaper, asked him a series of questions and he got the answers to those questions and he wrote up an article in the newspaper and as I read through the article, 11 of the things that struck me, was this, that, that he, he communicated a concern. For the salvation of these men. He had the opportunity to articulate to the guy interviewing him, the fact that Christ died for him.

And therefore, how could he not extend forgiveness if the opportunity presented itself. You see, this pastor Dennis. He understands, I think, to some degree. He understands the passage that we are about to look at.

He gets it. He understands it. He has a desire for the advancement of the gospel, and I believe that as we look at the passage, the passage will give us motivation, if you will. They, they are truths designed to motivate us.

To advance the gospel. Another interesting thing that Dennis said was that He said In not so many words that the issue of their salvation. was of greater importance than the issue of his physical health. Again, this man gets it.

He understands. The gospel. I want to ask you to turn in your Bibles with me, please, to 1 Timothy 2:1 through 7. And while we are focusing on verses 5 through 7, I want to read verses 1 through 8 in order to get the bigger context.

First Timothy chapter 2, beginning in verse 1. Paul says to the pastor, the young pastor Timothy, first of all, then, I urge I urge that in treaties, And prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men. I think part of what he wants is he wants Timothy and the Ephesian believers to be praying, in part, for the salvation of all men. He prays, or he says, so that or in order that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.

No doubt, as the people of God are able to live a life of godliness in all dignity, there are others looking in and as a result, may be impacted by their life, by their testimony, by their godliness. He goes on to say that this is good and acceptable in the sight of God, our Savior. Now hold on. Who incidentally desires, and Milton told us last week that this can be understood as strongly desiring.

He is right now, as I write, by way of extension, as I speak, strongly and intensely desiring all men. All men to be saved. And to come to the knowledge of the truth, the gospel. Now, beginning in verse 5, what we have is Paul providing proof for what he has just said.

In the smaller context, he is proving what he has just said. He is proving that God, our Savior desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. 4, and by the way, this is a creed that Paul would have borrowed from. This would have been an early church creed, beginning in verse 5, where it says 4, and what follows is the beginning of a creed that Paul is quoting.

This is something that every church member, every, every born again believer would have affirmed in the early church, for there is one God. And one mediator also between God and men, the man. The man Christ Jesus. Who gave himself as a ransom for all, for all.

This is the end of the creed, and what follows would be Paul's statement on it. This is his reflection upon it, the testimony born or given at the proper time. And for this, I was appointed a preacher and an apostle. I am telling the truth.

I am not lying as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. Therefore, In light of the gospel, in light of the cross, in light of God's love for all of mankind as has been communicated through the cross. Therefore, I want men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands without wrath. And without dissension.

You see, the cross makes a difference. I'm asking myself the question. How can I be motivated like Dennis? How can I be motivated to advance the gospel in a way similar to Dennis being motivated to advance the gospel?

And so this morning, we will consider 5 truths to motivate believers to advance the gospel to all people, 5 truths to motivate believers to advance the gospel to all people, or if you want to think of it this way, we're going to answer the question, why? Why should I be motivated to advance the gospel? Why should I be motivated? And as we stare at this passage, 5 to 7, as we look at it, the net effect of it in our lives should be a motivation inside of us to want to see the gospel advance through us into the lives of people around us.

That ought to be the effect. Of this passage, as we gaze upon it, and as we meditate and contemplate and think about and allow it to, to, to come into our beings, this passage should motivate us with a strong passion and desire. To advance the gospel, to live it out. And to advance it, and to see all people come to faith in Christ.

Why should I be motivated to advance the gospel? Motivating truth number one, motivating truth number one, there is one God, there is one God, you see, all other so-called gods do not exist. In Paul's day, in Timothy's day, in the Roman Empire, most of the people believed in a pantheon of gods. Most of, most of the people believed that you could pray to this God and that God and the other God.

And most of the people petitioned these gods for favors for them. And what the apostle Paul here is saying to Timothy, and by way of extension to the Ephesians believers, is that there is only one God. Earlier, in a few verses earlier, he describes this God as being our Savior. Even in chapter one, verse one, God is referred to as our Savior.

You see, there is only one savior, God. The others are not gods. And we live in a world, we live in a city, we live in a neighborhood in which countless people do not insist, they do not believe this foundational truth. There is only one God.

In a pluralistic society, in a postmodern era, the people around us fail to believe that there is only one God that should motivate us. We've got the majority of people around us heading on a highway to destruction. The end of their life will result in them entering into an eternal lake of fire. Because they are worshiping false gods.

There is only one God. And therefore, we should be motivated. To proclaim the gospel. Because too many people would disagree with us on this point.

Too many people would disagree with us when we insist that based upon the authority of the Word of God, that there is only one savior, God. Earlier in this letter, In verse 17, Paul describes God as the King, eternal. The King eternal. Immortal.

Immortal Invisible The only God. Contained in this statement would be echoes of the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, we read in the beginning, God. Part of what Moses in writing Genesis is trying to accomplish.

is, is monotheism, the belief in one God, and he begins in his efforts by saying, in the beginning, God created. There are echoes of the Old Testament, echoes of the Shama. Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God, he is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, with all of your soul, with all of your strength, with all of your might.

As we gaze upon this little passage, for there is one God, we begin to get a sense of the absolute uniqueness of God. You see, there is only one. And brothers and sisters, I am not him. You are not him.

We are not that one God. There is only one. And we are not him, echoes of his transcendence. echoes of His Majesty, His holiness, his greatness, his otherness.

He is distinct. He is unique. He is in a world all his own, if you will. And I believe Job captures a sense of this.

In the book of Job, the story. Job had been dealt a difficult Hands God had brought him to the place. God in His sovereignty had brought Job to a place in which he was suffering tremendously. He had lost loved ones.

He had lost his farm. His financial situation was in disrepair, if you will. He was inflicted with sores all over his body sickness, and it would seem as if this righteous man of God had had the rug pulled out from underneath his feet. And when you look at Job chapter 9, Job is recounting in chapter 9, the greatness of God.

He is, he is, focusing his attention on the transcendence of God and how God is unique, and how, and how he just doesn't hold a candle in comparison to God. He talks about the things that God does and the things that he creates, and the storms and all of the stuff that he does out there in the created world. And Job is left, left to conclude that, what? Distance Distance.

In Job chapter 9, he will ask a series of questions. And he will make a number of statements, but in 9:32, Job says this, for he is not a man as I am. That I may answer him. If he were a man, Then I might be able to speak to him face to face.

But he is not a man like me, that I may answer him. That we may go to court together. he's, he's thinking along the lines of some arbitrator, some someone who would be able to, bridge the gap between him and God. He says there is no mediator between us.

And the word for mediator here is the same word that we will see in a minute. In chapter 2, verse 5, he says, there is no mediator between us who may lay his hand upon us both. Let him remove his rod from me and let not dread of him terrify me, then I would speak and not fear him, but I am not like that in myself. Do you hear the cry of Job's heart to Almighty God?

Do you hear the cry of his heart? that there were a mediator, as he contemplates the greatness, the transcendence, the holiness, the otherness, the, the, the sheer magnificence of Almighty God, he has led to the place where he is basically crying out in his heart of hearts for some mediator, someone that would represent me to God and God to me, oh, that there were a mediator. What we are about to look at Is the New Testament solution to the problem. God God has provided.

A mediator. This is motivating truth number 2. Why should we be motivated to advance the gospel? Motivating truth number 2, there is one There is, there is, there doesn't have to be, but wonder of wonders, grace of God, there actually is, there is a mediator and not just a, it's one mediator, only one mediator, there are no other mediators, no other bridges that I can cross to get to Almighty God.

There is only 11 mediator between God and man. Read that verse with me 25. One mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, there are no other mediators.

There are those out there in the world who would say that, what, we need to pray to such and such for grace. But what the Bible tells us clearly here is that there is only one mediator. There are no other mediators. I do not have to pray to so-called saints in order to gain an audience with Almighty God.

There is only one mediator. That's what the Bible says, one mediator, only one between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Let's think about this word mediator for a moment. A mediator represents two parties.

In order for a mediator to represent God, guess what? He had to be like God. He had to represent God perfectly to men. Light of the world, you step down into darkness.

Behold, we have seen a light. Light has shined forth in the darkness. The word became flesh, wonder of wonders. We have one who can represent.

God to us. Jesus Christ said, If you have seen me. You have seen. The father We did not deserve such kindness.

We did not deserve a mediator. But there is a mediator representing God perfectly to us and us perfectly to God. You see this mediator not only had to be God, he had to be man. And that's what Paul draws his attention, our attention to the man.

The man Christ Jesus. Imagine that. Almighty God. God, the second person of the Trinity, God the Son, left the glory of heaven, the glories of heaven entered into this world.

He was born of a virgin, became a man, a baby. And was laid to rest, to sleep. In a feeding trough. We did not deserve such kindness.

A mediator does not just represent two parties. But follow with me, please, a mediator intervenes between the two parties in order to resolve a conflict between those two parties. You see, there had existed ever since the fall, a major problem, a divine dilemma. Ever since the fall, we have God in His holiness opposed to man and man in his sinfulness opposed to God, and there is this dilemma where God wants all of mankind to be saved.

He cannot save all of mankind in that state. Because of our sin, and because he demands death from us because of our sin. But this mediator comes along, and he represents both to each other, and he seeks to resolve the conflict. That is the Lord Jesus Christ as the mediator seeking to resolve the conflict that does exist between us and God.

Just a As an aside, I was talking about how God became man, Jesus became a man. Brothers and sisters, I do not, I don't know what all of you all are going through in your life right now as I speak. But what I do know is God became a man. The second person of the Trinity was incarnated, became a man.

And the Bible says that we have a high priest who can sympathize with our weakness. We have a great high priest who became, who was fully man, who identifies with us in our sorrows, and our weaknesses, in our infirmities. He completely identifies. In fact, he understands what we go through way more than we would ever be able to imagine.

Because to whatever degree that we have gone through difficulties, he has experienced more so. To whatever degree that we experience isolation and loneliness and being sinned against and just difficulties of life, guess what? He is a great high priest who empathizes he has experienced being that he was fully man. The difference is that he never yielded to the temptation to sin.

He was perfect, being that he was fully God, as well. It's not enough, though, that he, We have a mediator. Something more had to happen. And this brings us to motivating truth number 3.

Jesus Christ gave himself as a ransom for all. Jesus Christ or Christ Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all. This is what the mediator did. He gave himself, Listen to the passage, Christ Jesus, who incidentally gave himself, he gave his life, he gave, he volition, he on his own volition, he voluntarily gave, he gave.

He himself. He gave his life as a ransom for all. He did not have to give his life, but he chose on his own volition to give his life as a ransom for all. Follow with me, the word ransom means price paid for the release of slaves or captives.

Ransom means price paid for the release of slaves or captives. And so it is. That the Lord Jesus Christ, 100% God, 100% man, living a perfect life, went to the cross. This, this word ransom directs our attention to the cross.

He went to the cross. And there he suffered, and he died there at the cross, he was clothed in nothing but his own blood, pouring forth across his entire body. He was clothed in nothing but his blood and a crown of thorns that had been pressed upon his brow. The Lord Jesus Christ gave himself as a ransom, the, the, the payment that was necessary for the release of captives.

Guess who the captives are brothers and sisters? That is us. Captives, prisoners, prisoners to sin. Prisoners, unable to do that what God has designed us for, unable to give glory that is due to his name, unable to worship Him freely because of the fall, we became self idolaters, and we failed to worship God, we worship still, we just failed to worship.

worship God, which is what he created for, and part of what Jesus did in being our ransom is he has set us free from the power of sin and from the power of death. He has set us free. We are free from guilt, free from condemnation, all of those sins that you have committed, and if you were to stop with me right now and meditate upon the sins that you have committed. And the sins that I have committed, no doubt it would be enough to bring me to a place of utter despair.

But I need not despair because Christ gave his life as a ransom for all, for all, for some, no, for all is what the passage says. This speaks loudly of the love that Almighty God has for humanity. This tells us, in no uncertain terms, that God does have a love for all of humanity. He causes his reign to fall on the just and the unjust.

His, the, the sun shines on the good and the evil. God has been incredibly kind, even to the worst of sinners, God's kindness is on display all around. I ask you, do you see it? Do you sense his kindness?

In the world in which you live. Are you blown away by how good and how gracious and kind and merciful he is? He is so kind that he gave his son, and Jesus Christ is our ransom. The price has been paid, the wrath of God has been, has been appeased.

God's wrath, 100% of his wrath, poured out upon the Lord Jesus Christ so that for those of us who have faith in Christ, we, we escape the wrath and we are children of the Most High God. Jesus Christ gave his life. As a ransom for all. Let us forward to motivating truth number 4.

What should motivate me? Why should I be motivated to proclaim the gospel to all people? Well, Jesus Christ gave himself as a testimony to all. He gave himself as a testimony to all.

Now, look at me, please, verse 6, it says he gave himself as a ransom for all, decreed ends, and now Paul's statement, he says, the testimony born at the proper time. This is Paul's personal comment on the creed just stated, what is the testimony? The testimony is the life and the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is the testimony. What does this testimony testify to?

It testifies to God's love for mankind. The testimony of God's love for mankind is the Lord Jesus Christ in his life and in his death, in his mediatorship and in his ransomship. He has become the testimony, proof that God indeed does love all of mankind. God's love is not just Designed to be poured out upon the nation of Israel only.

His love is meant to be poured out upon all the nations, all of mankind. How do I know? Because of the cross. And if you don't have a sense of the love of God for all of mankind, let me encourage you to grab hold of the cross.

Anyone who struggles in their heart to be a conduit through which God's unconditional love and mercy and grace is extended struggles, I think mainly because They fail to see the cross. You see, the cross makes all the difference in the world. The cross makes all the difference in the world. It helps me so that I might be able to love.

This is what Dennis understood. This is why Dennis was able to communicate the desire for the salvation of the thugs that beat him. Because he understands the cross. He was sinned against greatly.

He had a hammer that was that was applied to his head. His head was bashed in. And yet he is willing, if given the opportunity to forgive. He loves those men.

He wants their salvation. And it's because he gets the cross. I know in a room, in a, in a crowd this big, some of you have been sinned against greatly. Some of you have been sinned against greatly, even by those closest to you.

I want to ask you this morning. Do you see the cross? Do you get it? Do you understand mercy and grace and compassion that has been poured out upon you in bucket loads, so that against the backup of the cross and the knowledge that he died for all that you are willing to be a conduit through which God's love will express itself to all, yeah, even your spouse.

Even your children, even your parents. Your neighbor, your co-workers, those who have sinned greatly against you. If you find it in your heart, that you are unable to extend forgiveness to those who have sinned greatly against you, is because God is wanting you to move. Closer to the place where you get and you experience the cross.

The cross makes a difference. So motivating truth number 4, Christ Jesus gave himself as a testimony to all and the last motivating truth, motivating truth number 5. What an amazing concept. Sinners saved by grace.

are appointed by God. To testify of God's love for all. Follow with me please. God appointed the apostle Paul.

What did Paul earlier say? I was a murderer and a blasphemer and a violent aggressor. And yet God's grace was more than abundant to me. This is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst of all.

And so we've got the chief of sinners saying this. For this, for this testimony, for this gospel message, for the proclamation of the cross to testify of God's love for all of mankind, for this, I was appointed by God, I was appointed. God chose me, God wanted to use me, and he wanted to use me as a preacher and an apostle. I am telling the truth, I am not lying.

As a teacher of the Gentiles. In faith and truth. Gentiles, a teacher of the nations, God is no respecter of persons. God loves all nations.

Brothers and sisters, it does not matter what stripe you are. It doesn't matter if you're black or white or brown or what have you. God's love has been poured forth through the Lord Jesus Christ, and it's meant to extend to all the nations, to all people, whether they are rich or poor, it doesn't matter. We've got people in our community that are out there on the streets suffering and homeless, and for whatever reason, we don't know, but what, I can safely say that God loves those people.

And my question for us this morning is, do we love those people? If we don't, we need to look at the cross, we need to see the blood-stained Son of God suffering. Agonizing, grueling. Separate from the Father.

And as we do Therein is motivation for us to proclaim the gospel to your neighbor, to your co-worker, to your loved one. To your enemy, to your enemy. We have considered motivating truths this morning, 5 truths to motivate us to advance the gospel. Number 1, there is one God.

There's only one God. Number 2, there is one mediator between God and men, that would be the man Christ Jesus. Number 3, Jesus Christ gave himself as a ransom for all people. He gave himself as a ransom for all.

All, and he wants to use us to proclaim that message to all. Number 4, he gave himself as a testimony to all a testimony. He testified to his life and death of the love of God for all people. God's love is not exclusive anymore.

And then, sinners saved by grace are appointed to testify. Of God's love for all through the proclamation of the gospel. This passage, should challenge you and I to lay hold of the heart of God. We ought to see.

Love and mercy and compassion and grace beyond imagination, bleeding forth from these passages. We ought to see the love of God for all people from the passage that we have just looked at. You see, it would be easy, guys, brothers and sisters, it would be easy for us. To lay hold of the fact that God does indeed love all and he has shown his love for all through Jesus Christ, it would be easy to, to, to believe the all.

And to fail to put ourselves inside of that equation. I can safely say based upon the authority of God's word this morning, I can safely say that God loves you all. And for anyone who struggles with the love of God for yourself, I would challenge you to spend time looking at the cross. If there is anyone here struggling with, with the thought that maybe God does not love him, I would ask you to spend much time looking at the cross.

I would defy you, I will defy you to look at the cross and to see Christ slain on the cross for you, and to conclude that God does not love you. It is almost a blasphemous thought to say, as you look at the cross, and that you're sinful, and, you need a savior, and you see Christ dying for you, and you hear him say, Father, forgive them for they know not what you do, it would almost be blasphemous for you to conclude that he does not love you. God loves you. God loves you.

I don't know what baggage you bring to the table this morning. God loves you. I don't know what sins you have. What struggles you have, what discouragements you're wrestling with.

I don't know your story, but God knows your story. And God looks at your story, and he places upon the story of your life, the cross, and he says, I love you. Earlier in the week I was singing the song Jesus Loves Me. This I know.

For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to him belong. We are weak But he is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me, and yes, he loves you.

When you When you come to the place where you affirm this with all of your being, guess what? You are then at a place in which God's love can be expressed through you. In the lives of those around you, yeah, even your worst enemies. Would you join with me in prayer?

Gracious heavenly Father, we just come before you this morning and we thank you so much for your kindness. Lord, as we prepare our hearts for the offering, Lord, we give back to you because you have given to us. We have learned this morning that you gave your Son, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believe in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. We were reminded of the fact that you gave to us a mediator and you gave to us a ransom, Lord, and so we thank you for your grace and your kindness.

that you indeed do love us. Now Lord, let us respond back to you in love by giving in your name so that through our giving the gospel can be advanced. Lord, use our offering to bring glory to you, and as we sing this song of praise, direct our hearts to you and help us to sing to you with joy inexpressible and full of glory. We pray these things in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen. I guess people said.